LSU has had problems on one side of the ball this spring, and that should excite the Tiger faithful.

The problems are with the defense, according to coach Ed Orgeron, because the unit is going up against Matt Canada’s offense.

“His offense is kicking our defense’s tail this spring,” Orgeron told Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated. “It’s causing problems.”

Staples spent time in Baton Rouge for a feature on Canada and the new offense he’s installing at LSU. One big difference between the Canada offense and the Les Miles-Cam Cameron scheme is distribution of touches. Staples says LSU fans should be ready for more Tigers to get the ball with Canada calling the plays judging by the stats from his time as the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh and N.C. State:

At Pittsburgh last season, five non-quarterbacks carried the ball at least 30 times. Five players made at least 20 catches. At NC State in ’15, six non-quarterbacks carried at least 30 times. Six players caught at least 20 passes. In Miles’s last full year at LSU, three non-quarterbacks carried the ball at least 30 times and only two players caught at least 20 passes. Last season, LSU had three non-quarterbacks carry at least 30 times and three players catch at least 20 passes.

While LSU’s recruiting efforts have been overshadowed by Alabama’s streak of No. 1 classes, signing top talent has never been the Tigers’ problem. In the last five recruiting classes – the ones which makeup the 2017 roster – LSU has finished no lower than No. 7 nationally in the 247Sports Composite class rankings. The No. 7 ranking is from the 2017 class, which is highly impressive in the year of a coaching change.

As Staples put it, Tigers fans lost patience with Miles because they “wasted offensive talent while simultaneously overworking a great tailback.” Under Canada, it appears that more athletes are touching the ball, and that’s causing problems for LSU’s defense.

The Tigers are coming off a season which they were ranked No. 3 in the SEC in total defense. If Canada’s offense is causing problems for LSU’s defense, it will likely cause problems for the rest of the SEC West.

Staples’ full article can be read here.